App templates

The app templates selection determines the type of widget that is used for the app window (the app main widget) as well as some configuration options.

Figure 45: Dialog template

Dialog

The Dialog template creates an app which has a non-modal dialog as its main widget. A non-modal dialog is a type of dialog that allows the user to interact with other parts of the Simcenter Amesim user interface while the dialog is opened. As an example, the Search dialog in many text editors is a non-modal dialog – you can still interact with the text editors while their Search dialog is open.

Dock Window

The Dock Window template creates an app which has a dock widget as its main widget. A dock widget can stay on top of everything else just like a non-modal dialog, but also has the ability to be docked as a panel inside the Simcenter Amesim dock areas. A dock widget allows interaction with the rest of the Simcenter Amesim user interface while it is open, just like a non-modal dialog.

Main Window

The Main Window template creates an app which has a main window as its main widget. A main window stays on top of everything else and makes it possible to interact with the other parts of the Simcenter Amesim user interface, just like a non-modal dialog. The main window allows you to have a menu bar, toolbars, and a status bar. The generated app will have the menu bar and the status bar generated by default. You may add as many toolbars as you need, using the Add Tool Bar entry in the widget context menu.

A main window can also be minimized/maximized by the user.

Modal Dialog with buttons

A Modal Dialog with buttons template creates an app which has a modal dialog as its main widget. A modal dialog is a type of dialog that does not allow the user to interact with other parts of the Simcenter Amesim user interface while the dialog is opened. As an example, the Preferences/Configuration dialog in some applications (like Simcenter Amesim) is a modal dialog – you can interact with the rest of the application only after closing the dialog. The template also adds a button box widget on the dialog by default. Modal dialogs usually have OK/Cancel, or Yes/No buttons, and the dialog is closed when one of these buttons is pressed. Closing the dialog from its X button in the title bar, is equivalent to pressing the Cancel button.

Wizard

The Wizard template creates an app which has a wizard widget as its main widget. A wizard widget is by default a non-modal dialog, with Next/Back/Finish and Cancel buttons. The Next/Back buttons allow navigation through several pages, where each page usually asks some configuration data from the user. As an example, many application setup programs are wizards.

Note

An alternative to using a Wizard template is to pick another app template and add a TabWidget or a Stacked Widget and buttons to the app main widget, and connect them so that pressing a button switches the tab or the stacked widget that is displayed.

Note

A non-modal main widget can be switched to a modal main widget and back, by giving the widget windowModality property the value ApplicationModal or NonModal.

Note

A Modal dialog with buttons template overrides the setting of the widget windowModality and modal properties, by explicitly setting the modal property to in the generated mainform.py file: